


Arranged

by Zuhelle



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Character Development, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gabriel and Chloe's mom are homophobic, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, Luka and Kagami don't exist in this universe!, M/M, Marriage, Mental Torture, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Multi, Polyamory, Possessive Behavior, Romance, Swearing, WARNINGS:, beauty and the beast themes if you squint, bi questioning chloe, bisexual adrien and marinette, domestic abuse, dub-con marriage agreement, humanized!kwami, kwami of ambiguous gender, one sided kim/chloe, one sided sabrina/chloe, pansexual kwami, plot twists.....? you'll just have to read and see~
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28766340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zuhelle/pseuds/Zuhelle
Summary: The Miraculous aren’t just any type of jewelry. They give you power, and in exchange, you give them your heart, body, soul, and the privacy of your own mind. Where the young marry too soon and where some marriages are not of a happy home; follow Ladybug and Chat Noir on their journey of love, betrayal, and mystery.May they hold their beloveds through sickness and through health… until death may they part.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Plagg, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois/Pollen, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Tikki
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. The Proposal

“Master, are you sure this is a good idea?” 

A green-haired old man hovered behind Master Wang Fu nervously. 

“No. But the Hawkmoth has made his move, and this needs to be done.” 

The two watched silently from afar, as Adrien Agreste: renowned model for the Agreste Fashion Brand, was escorted back into his father’s limo. He had sacrificed his chance at public school to help Master Fu from danger. His noble deed was enough to prove himself as a perfect candidate for a Miraculous. 

However. The Miraculous Mr. Fu was forced to give him… could come with unwanted side-effects. Needless to say, there would be consequences from his decision in the future. But Hawkmoth is now on the rise, and action had to be taken. 

Finding the Ladybug Miraculous candidate was far easier. A young girl with blue eyes and a bright smile came to his aid in a heart-beat. Like he had with Adrien, Master Fu slipped the Miraculous box into the young girl’s purse. Now all he had to do was wait, and pray things would go smoothly. 

~~~

  
  


“AHHHH?!” Marinette screamed. 

There was a lady in her room. A young pretty lady with short red hair, bright bluebelle eyes, two strange red antennae, caucasian skin, and...no clothes. 

“Hello! I’m Tikki!” 

The lady hovered gently in front of Marinette, only to squeak in surprise as a blanket was thrown over her. The red-headed young lady sighed with a small laugh. “Okay, if that makes you feel better.” 

Tikki heard the sound of a hand opening an attic door. She suddenly realized what her young mistress was about to do. “No, Marinette!” Tikki pushed off the blanket and appeared before Marinette’s face, preventing her from calling for help. “You must keep me a secret, please, you have to trust me!” 

Marinette gulped, still scared out of her mind. But this...girl seemed genuinely distressed. Sensing no ill intentions, Marinette proceeded to match the girl’s energy. She took deep breaths and sat down, closing her eyes and concentrating. 

Marinette finally opened her eyes, her cheeks bright pink in embarrassment. She picked up the discarded blanket and offered it to Tiki, looking away from her exposed body. 

“Uh, here…” 

Tikki looked down and realized she forgot to formulate clothes with her form. Her face turned a bright red with embarrassment at her mistake. “Oh! Oh dear, I’m so sorry!!” 

With a snap of her fingers, a cute sleeveless red dress weaved itself over her fair body. 

Marinette’s jaw dropped. This girl could sew clothes with a snap of her fingers? Forget being scared, Marinette was now jealous. 

“Okay. Who….what..are you?” 

The girl adjusted herself; still a little flustered.

“Hello Marinette. My name is Tikki. I am a Kwami.” 

Marinette gave Tikki a puzzled look. “A Kwami?” 

Tikki happily nodded her head. “Yes. To put it simply, we are the manifestation of concepts born to Earth. I am the power of creation.” 

Upon her explanation, Tikki waved her hand to demonstrate as a cookie appeared in thin air. 

Marinette once more became like a fish out of water; her face may as well have become permanently shocked. 

“Would you like a taste?” Tikki asked, offering the cookie outward, all the while keeping her distance as not to scare her new friend. 

Marinette hesitantly took the cookie in hand, indulging the magical lady. To her surprise, the cookie was delicious. 

“Wow! This is amazing. How did you do that?!” 

Tikki smiled proudly. “I’m magic! It can be a little exhausting if I use too much of my power though. I need to eat human-made food to refill my energy.” 

“So...why were you in my bag?” 

“Oh! Master Fu put me in there. He felt you would be the best match for me!” Tikki exclaimed. 

“Master Fu?” 

“Yes, he is the Guardian of the Miraculous. Their powers have been top secret throughout the centuries. Simply living on through legends and mythical remnants of history. He is supposed to keep them out of the wrong hands.” 

Marinette watched the girl’s expression soon turn sad. 

“However, one of the Miraculous was...stolen. The Butterfly Miraculous. It grants its user the power of transmission control over an individual of their choosing.” 

Marinette finished the cookie Tikki had made for her and sat up confused. 

Tikki continued before Marinette could ask any questions. “Where I’m getting at here is that you can use my power, Marinette. If you wear my earrings and exclaim: ‘Spots on!’ You shall receive my abilities, and can fight Hawkmoth with more direct attacks. If a Kwami fights alone, they could be in danger of being snatched up. If I fight with you, we can protect each other while saving the city!” 

Marinette was at a loss. She seemed kinda spaced out. All of this was so hard to believe but… she remembered just the other day her friend Alya pointed out some suspicious historical evidence of superheroes fighting for justice in ancient Egypt. There was no way this was a coincidence. The universe was giving her foreshadowing of her destiny it seemed like. 

“Wait, so… you keep talking about ‘fighting Hawkmoth’...strange things have been happening to a lot of people recently. They dress up in strange outfits and perform weird sinister tricks on the street. They seem to snap out of it after a few hours, but to have so many happen out of nowhere like this… is this Hawkmoth’s doing?” 

“Yes. The people who have been causing trouble in Paris as of recent are the victims of Hawkmoth. He is the one controlling them behind the scenes. He picks on your negative emotions and captures your will. You work for him, and he gives you power. He is using it for destructive purposes, and must be stopped before someone gets seriously hurt.” 

Tikki explained; determined and frustrated. 

Marinette hesitated. No doubt in her mind she was still very scared and confused. To become a superhero out of nowhere is such a heavy responsibility that might interfere with school or her family. But NOT being a superhero could cause them even more harm. One of the students in her class was one of the first people who went crazy this week. Who knows who could be next. Alya? Her family? 

Marinette couldn’t stand the thought of sitting back and doing nothing. If she was being given this chance, she should take it. But she was still….a little apprehensive. 

“I’m...I’m still a little confused Tikki, so...how does this work?” 

Tikki was relieved to know Marinette seemed eager to go along. “You put on the earrings. Whenever you want to transform, you say: ‘spots on!’, and for detransformation: ‘spots off.’” 

“Hmm… okay, spots-” 

Tikki covered Marinette’s mouth with her soft hands. 

“No! Wait! You have to agree to my contract first.” 

Tikki flew back, releasing Marinette’s lips and watching her carefully. 

“Contract?” 

“Yes. Marinette, this transformation does not come...lightly. Your soul will become bonded to mine. I need to know if you are...okay with that.” 

Tikki fidgeted nervously, rubbing her hand on her elbow slowly. 

Marinette seized up. “I- I’m not going to get sick or anything, am I?!” 

Tikki held up her hands. “No, no! Nothing like that! You should feel just like yourself. Just powerful. More energetic. And you’ll be able to hear my voice too.” 

Marinette calmed down at the explanation and sighed with relief. “Oh! Phew. Is that all?” 

“Well...actually…” Tikki hesitated. “There is one more thing.” 

Marinette was silent, awaiting the final condition of Tikki’s contract. 

“You...you can’t date anyone while we are...together.” 

Marinette was silent for a moment. “Um...excuse me?”

“You see, uh...it's hard to explain, but…” Tikki averted her eyes. This was for Marinette’s safety. It had to be done. 

“...Dating someone while you are a superhero...could get them hurt. You have to keep your identity secret under all circumstances if possible, and therefore it's safer if you….don’t….date anyone.” Tikki shrugged, sweating nervously. 

Marinette scrunched her eyebrows, noticing Tikki’s strange change of attitude. Marinette wondered every now and again what it would be like in her future. To have a lover. To have a house, and even children. But she hasn’t found anyone she was interested in yet. Not being able to date during these years of her life seemed like a big downer, but then again, she already knows most of the kids in her class already have lovers, and she wouldn’t consider going after any of them. Her one true love probably won’t be coming to her any time soon. 

Bringing her fist to her chin, Marinette contemplated this condition carefully.

“Okay. I think I can abide by that. I mean, it’s not like I’ll be a superhero forever, right?” She said jokingly. 

A strange look crossed Tikki’s face. “....Sure. You don’t have to fight anyone if you don’t want to.” 

Marinette found that expression to be odd, but Tikki was expecting her to be a superhero. Maybe Tikki was worried she wouldn’t accept. But Marinette wouldn’t back out if it meant protecting her friends and family. 

“If it means having a trump card against the man terrorizing Paris, I’m all in.” 

Tikki was surprised by the girl’s courage. A smile returned to her face. “Alrighty then. The final step is to take the oath.” 

Marinette sat on her knees and straightened up her back, giving Tikki her full attention. 

“Marinette Dupain-cheng. Do you swear to uphold justice, and use my power only for good?” 

Marinette nodded. “I do.” 

“Do you accept my miraculous to have and to hold forever from this day forward, for better or for worse?” 

Marinette hesitated. Once more, Tikki’s wording was very suspicious. But...this little…’Kwami’ did describe herself akin to that of a god that has been around for a very long time. Perhaps she was just...old? 

“I...I do.” 

“Then seal our contract with the phrase.” 

“....Spots on.” 

Tikki flew forward, and pecked Marinette on the lips. 

In a flash, Marinette was standing in her room alone. She was wrapped in red, black spots drifting in patterns down her suit. A strange round device was strapped to her waist. 

Still recovering from the initial shock of getting kissed by a….fairy, let alone that being her first kiss, Marinette slowly stumbled her way over to the mirror in the corner. 

She examined the mask upon her face, the ribbons swirling down from her pigtails, and reveling in the details of her suit. She cocked her head to the side, slowly bringing her fingers up to caress the vibrant red earrings. 

“....Tikki?!” 

**_(“Yes, Marinette?”)_ ** Came a reply. 

“Huh? Tikki? Where are you?” 

Marinette whirled around, but couldn’t find her friend. 

**_(“I’m here, Marinette. Right here, with you. Only you can hear me when we are in this form.”)_ **

Marinette looked down at her gloved hands. “Oh! I’m glad we can still communicate at least. So...what now?”

Marinette could feel the smile in Tikki’s voice.  **_(“Now, I will teach you how to be Ladybug.”)_ **

~~~

“Urgh!” 

Adrien slammed his backpack into the side of the couch in his room. He flopped down onto his back and put his hands over his eyes. He cursed under his breath in frustration. 

A knock on his door made his fists clench. 

“Adrien? Your home school lessons will start in 15 minutes.” 

Adrien turned on his side and pulled a pillow over his ear. Stupid father. Didn’t he realize being stuck inside all the time was suffocating him? 

He wanted to go to school. He wanted to make friends. He’s spent most of his life homeschooled, hidden from the public. But he couldn’t take it anymore. Especially since his mother died. Being stuck in the house was torture. His father didn’t even want him going to public school. Unbelievable. 

Adrien sighed and sat back up. He reached over to his bag and dumped out its contents. 

A small black box fell out of the bag and onto the floor away from his books. 

Adrien froze, staring at the strange box. He definitely didn’t put that in his bag. 

Reaching down, he plucked it off the carpet and flipped it open. 

A black ring, dazzling with emeralds shone in its case a little too brightly. So much so it was blinding. 

Adrien shut his eyes and held the box away. 

“Heya, kid.” 

Green eyes snapped open and locked onto the source of the new voice. 

Adrien screeched and tripped backward on his couch. 

“Aw, come on now, I ain’t that hideous.” 

Adrien hid behind the couch cushions, slowly peering up from its top. 

His eyes met with a strange boy with black hair...ears...and...a tail?! 

“Hey there, sunshine.” 

“What- what are you?!” Adrien exclaimed. 

The cat-like guy smirked and pounced over to Adrien’s face, observing him intriguingly. 

Adrien found himself sweating as he looked into a mouth of sharp teeth, hearing a deep laugh. “Well well, what an angel you are….. my name is Plagg.” 

Plagg had slightly dark skin, no shoes, fingerless gloves, a shirt, jacket, and thin jeans...all black. 

Plagg seemed to sniff cologne off of the blonde teen and purred in delight. 

Adrien stood and backed up quickly, disturbed by this behavior. Plagg smirked but respected the distance. 

“Hmmmmm, your name is Adrien, right?” 

“How do you know my name?” 

Plagg settled on top of Adrien’s couch, stretching out his back. “I may have been stuck in my ring, but I can still hear everything outside. You must have gotten in trouble with how many times I heard your full name get used, haha!” 

Adrien sat down on the couch, watching as Plagg made his way down to sit next to Adrien. 

“What...are you? Where did you-” 

“Kwami, Master Fu, old, superpowers, and as I said before, my name is Plagg.” 

Adrien shut his mouth, stunned. This cat-like guy seemed to have had this conversation before if he knew all the answers so quickly. 

Plagg looked around eagerly. “You got anything to eat around here before we do this?” 

Adrien ignored his first question. “Do...what?” 

“Transform, you dingus. Y'know how things have been going kinda haywire with the people in Paris lately? Well, that’s the work of a guy named Hawkmoth. He’s a supervillain. And congratulations! You’ve been chosen as my beloved superhero to stop him.” 

Adrien blinked. “Superhero?” 

“Yeah. Think about it. A masked hero, mysterious and wild. You could be free of your responsibilities for a while. What do you say?” 

Shaking his head, Adrien held up his hands. “Whoah, okay hold up. So you’re like, some sort of genie or something? Here to grant me...powers?” 

Plagg looked unamused but went along with that story. “Sure, why not.” 

“Cool! So...what do I do?” 

Plagg’s eyelids glared down ominously. 

“Wow, quick to agree, huh? Well. I’ve got some conditions.” 

Adrien leaned forward intently. Plagg did the same, eyes and voice now strangely serious. He held up a clawed finger as he counted off. 

“First, no girlfriends. No boyfriends. No lovers or dating of any kind.” 

The blonde-haired boy raised an eyebrow, absolutely bewildered. Not that he even had any friends aside from Chloe, and he was super uninterested in her in terms of romance, so it wouldn’t be a problem but….what a strange condition. 

He nodded his head in understanding. 

“Second, you can’t tell anyone your masked identity. Absolutely NO ONE.” 

Adrien kept heed of Plagg’s emphasis on the last two words of that sentence and nodded once more. 

“Third and finally, your soul is mine.” 

“Uh-” Adrien was about to back-reel before Plagg clarified. 

“Mine. Our souls will fuse. If you wanna use my power, I gotta stay dormant within your soul while it's borrowed. Eye for an eye, really.” 

“Hm, I guess that makes sense.” Adrien thought for a moment, but his decision was made the moment any form of freedom was promised to him. “I’ll do it.” 

Plagg smirked, standing upright. “Very well, Adrien Agreste!” 

The ring was plucked out of the box and held up toward Adrien. 

Adrien held out his left hand; the white ring was placed on his ring finger. 

He couldn’t help but feel odd about all this. 

Plagg smirked and got down on one knee, dramatically bowing before his user-to-be. 

“Do you take me as your lawfully wedded Miraculous?” 

Plagg fluttered his eyelashes, earning a laugh from Adrien. This weirdo must have been messing with him. “Haha...yeah, I do.” 

“Will you use my power only for justice?” 

“Yes, I do.” 

“Is your soul mine, and mine alone?” 

“Uh…..yes?” 

Green slits gazed dangerously at Adrien, a sharp-toothed smile still present on his face.

“‘Till death do us part?”

Adrien laughed nervously. More marriage jokes. 

“Sure... “ 

“Then henceforth! Seal the contract with the phrase: “Claws out!” 

Adrien held up his hand and repeated as he was instructed. 

“Claws out!” 

Plagg rushed upward with a smirk, earning a sound of surprise from Adrien as their lips touched. 

A flash of black and green and the transformation was complete. 

Adrien did a twirl, admiring his new form. Tail, ears, a cute little bell, and a black uniform? Sweet. His father hated it when he wore too much black. 

**_(“Well well, what do you think, my prince?”)_ **

“Plagg?! Is that you?” 

**_(“Yep! I’m in your head, heh heh. You’re the only one who can hear me, so you’re looking insane right now.”)_ **

Adrien raised his arms high, slightly disturbed. “Why did you kiss me?!”

A knock on the door made him freeze.

“Adrien? 5 minutes until your next lesson.” 

The blonde sighed. “I should de-transform. I don’t want Nathalie or father to catch me like this.” 

**_(“Adrien. Who cares? Your old man needs to be put in his place for once.”)_ **

“What do you mean?” 

**_(“Come on. Go for a walk. Who cares about your lessons? Not even a minute into being Chat Noir and you already wanna quit.”)_ **

Adrien eyed the window, longing for his freedom. 

Not a moment more, and he dashed for the glass, pushing it open and jumping out into the morning air. 

~~~

“Nooroo. It's been nearly a week. No Miraculous have turned up yet.” 

Gabriel Agreste paced angrily at the top of his tower in the dim light seeping through his mosaic skylight. 

A man no older than 35 stood sheepishly behind Gabriel. “Master, you must be patient, please. You know the selection of Miraculous Users is...complicated. If the users don’t accept the terms of the contract, then-” 

“I already know that, Nooroo! Am I not enough of a threat? Does the Guardian care so little for you he would be the cause of such delay?” 

Nooroo’s face became sad, and he fell silent. 

“I may be running out of time. I need to push things along or else…..” 

Gabriel ceased his pacing and huffed. 

Nooroo looked up to his master and gulped. 

“Master… even if they do show up….you know about the Destruction Miraculous, right?” 

Gabriel squinted downward at the floor, yet another reminder that this was not going to be an easy process. 

“Yes, Nooroo. I’m aware. And you should know that the same bodes for the Miraculous of Creation. The consequences will be on me, but I don’t care. All that matters is her, and her alone, do you understand?” 

“But...what of Adrien, master?” Nooroo asked quietly. 

“He remains out of this affair. He is still precious to me, and therefore will go untouched.” 

“You can’t keep him locked up forever.” 

Gabriel turned around, about to backlash at Nooroo’s rude comment, but was interrupted by his phone. 

He glared at Nooroo, who flinched. If it hadn’t been for the phone, he would be in for it. 

“What is it now, Nathalie?” Gabriel asked, annoyance dripping in his voice. 

“Sir! It's Adrien, he’s disappeared again.” 

Gabriel’s eyes shot open and he slammed his phone to the ground, shattering it. 

“Damn it!” 

Nooroo watched his master’s outburst from afar, a look of pity on his face for a mere second before he steeled it away. 

~~~ 

“WHA-HOO!” Adrien, now Chat Noir, screamed into the air as he jumped from building to building above the city. Eyeing the Eiffel tower, he knew climbing the tallest structure in the city was no easy feat, but one he would challenge nonetheless. 

Swinging from pole to pole, he finally managed his way to the very top. The wind rushed through his messy hair, and his tail belt flapped loudly. 

Chat took a deep breath through his nose and sighed with relief. Plagg was right. This was the best he’s ever felt. ****

**_(“I told you it’d be awesome.”)_ ** Plagg’s voice echoed within his head. 

Adrien smiled brightly as he hugged the top pole close to his chest, peering down at the vibrant city. 

“I’ve...I’ve never had this much fun in my life.” 

To say he wasn’t scared would be a lie. Adrien was actually terrified. He could feel his lungs strain for air, and his legs and hands were shaking with adrenaline. 

But the pain and anxiety were washed away with his sense of freedom. 30 minutes ago his father wouldn’t even let him cross the street by himself. Now he was swinging atop buildings and reaching heights most humans could only dream of reaching by themselves. 

Adrien still had some thoughts about the cat-person inside of him, but the little devil got him outside and by god he had fun. The blonde sighed heavily, knowing his father would have found out about his disappearance by now. He’d be in for it when he would get back. 

**_(“Aw, stopping so soon?”)_ ** Came the voice in his head. 

Adrien looked up as if he were talking to Plagg right in front of him. “You can hear my subconscious thoughts?” 

**_(“Hehe, you can’t keep anything from me, Adrien.”)_ **

Adrien gulped, nervous at his loss of privacy. He couldn’t mull over it any longer though. It was high time he went home with his tail between his legs. 

~~~


	2. Fateful Encounter

“Adrien!” Gabriel ran forward and hugged his son. He got down on one knee and checked the boy over, head to toe. “Where were you? What happened? No one did anything to you, did they?” 

“I’m fine, father. I’m sorry I snuck out.” Adrien sighed, refusing to look his father in the eye. 

Gabriel’s focus on his son seemed to calm a bit. He sighed relieved as he stood. “You will not sneak out like that again, you understand me? Or you will face the consequences.” 

Adrien hung his head, his voice becoming very small. “...Yes, father.” 

Gabriel nodded to Nathalie. “You’ve already missed over an hour of studies. I expect you to apologize to Nathalie and make up for the time you have lost immediately. Now go.” 

“...Yes, father.” 

Plagg watched from outside a window. He hissed angrily, hearing everything being said inside. How dare this man make a robot out of his betrothed?! That tall, peppermint reeking man will pay for his disrespect. 

After a long few hours of extra lessons with Nathalie, Adrien flopped down on his bed, groaning in aggravated exhaustion. This is exactly why he wanted to go to public school. Nathalie was always kind to him, but lately, she seemed like a robotic nanny, just going through the motions. Losing his bond with her because of her work schedule made him feel lonely. There are no friends, no other people to talk to, no change in environment… it was horribly depressing. 

The more Adrien mulled over it, the more depressed he became. He rolled over onto his side, only to flinch in surprise when he felt two arms wrap around him from behind. 

“What a jerk, that guy.” 

“P-Plagg?” Adrien asked, unable to turn around. 

“Yes, ‘tis I, love.” 

Adrien gulped, nervous at their positions and Plagg’s name of endearment. For some strange reason though, he wasn’t as freaked out as he should have been. Why was that? Why did he feel like...Plagg was not a mere stranger? Why didn’t he have the urge to screech and push Plagg off him right then and there? 

“Um- Plagg…” The blonde wasn’t really sure what he was going to say next, but it didn’t matter, for Plagg interrupted him before he could continue. 

A heavy tone hissed from Plagg’s mouth. “That man...I don’t like him.” 

Adrien froze, realizing Plagg must have watched their entire exchange from earlier. 

“He’s my father.” 

“I do not care who he is. He should not talk to you like that.” 

Adrien’s eyes fell, looking at the crinkles in the bedsheets below him. “I disobeyed him and ran away. Normally he would ground me, but...honestly... I’m kinda always grounded anyway.” 

Plagg’s claws slightly extended against Adrien’s torso.  **_“He is torturing you, Adrien.”_ **

The young blonde was not prepared for this conversation. 

**_“He-”_ **

“Plagg, please stop.” 

Silence befell the room. Plagg could feel his soul-bonded tremble against him. 

Green eye slits relaxed in pity, only to close as Plagg pulled Adrien closer to him. 

It’s been a long night.

~~~

Marinette woke bright and early that morning. She squeaked in surprise when she found Tikki curled up, sleeping next to her. What happened last night definitely wasn’t a dream. 

Marinette comically maneuvered her way around her new sleeping obstacle, nearly tripping when she finally managed to get off her own bed. Composing herself, she ran into the bathroom to freshen up and adjust her hair for the school day. 

When she finished, she stepped out and observed her new…”friend” from afar. 

The strange strings on Tikki’s head were twitching slightly in her sleep. Cocking her head to the side, Marinette slowly approached, reaching out to poke at them curiously. 

They were definitely antennae of some kind, the transformation Tikki uses was called “Ladybug” after all, but despite her clearly being based off an Earth bug… 

Those things definitely made her look like an alien. 

Tikki mumbled something as her antennae twitched erratically. Her eyes popped open to find Marinette crouching in front of her, only a foot away from her face. The two squealed in surprise, reeling away from each other. Tikki was the first to snap out of her stupor. “Oh, good morning Marinette…” 

The black-haired girl (with blue tints) nodded in acknowledgment, unable to officiate her reply. Tikki’s antennae were still twitching. She seemed to blush as she looked up at them, gently touching them with her delicate fingers to calm them. 

She laughed slightly, sheepishly looking to Marinette. “Mari, did you uh, did you happen to touch my antennae?” 

Marinette gulped, blushing herself. “Uh, yeah- thanks, um...sorry about...me! I’m… still getting used to all this.”

“Of course, dear. I’ve only been here for 15 hours after all.” 

The mention of time caught Marinette off guard. She looked at the time, realizing she forgot to set her alarm that morning. She woke up in perfect time, but she’d still have to rush if she wanted to make it to school without a tardy. 

“Ah!! I’m sorry Tikki, I’m gonna be late for class if I don’t hurry. Do you mind staying here for the day until I get back?” 

Tikki looked at Marinette confused. Oh, dear. It seems she forgot to explain the need to be by her side at all times. But she didn’t have the chance to explain, as Marinette had rushed out the door in record timing. 

~~~

A knock on the door awoke Adrien. He grumbled, clenching the sheets beneath him as he drew his eyelids tighter. A second knock, louder than before made him wake up with a start. “Y-yes?” 

Adrien shot up in bed, looking around in a panic, but Plagg was nowhere to be found. 

Nathalie answered from the other side of the door. “Adrien, your breakfast is ready downstairs. Your father wishes to speak with you.” 

Adrien felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. His father wanted to speak to him? Twice in 24 hours? That couldn’t be good. What more did he want to say? 

“O-okay, I’ll be down in a minute.” 

He waited until he heard the footsteps get far enough from his door before searching for Plagg. 

“Plagg? Plagg where are you?” 

Adrien ended up finding the humanized feline hiding under the bed. He probably got disturbed by the knocking and leaped under there for protection. “You can come out now, Plagg. She’s gone.” 

Plagg curled his lip and slowly snuck out from underneath the elevated mattress. 

“She wouldn’t see me either way. She just caught me off guard.” 

Adrien cocked his head to the side. “She wouldn’t see you?” 

Plagg looked up from where he sat to the angelic blonde and grinned. “Only you can see me, Adrien.” 

A clawed hand reached out and gently caressed the ringed hand that belonged to Adrien. 

“Well, you and the Miraculous Guardian, but he won’t be around for quite a while.” 

Adrien’s green eyes lingered upon the sharp nails delicately tickling his skin near his ring, only for them to trail back up to Plagg in confusion. “Miraculous...Guardian?” 

Black eyelashes blinked slowly. “I can explain everything in more detail later. You should go downstairs and deal with that asshole father of yours.” 

Adrien’s hands shot up to his ears, gasping in shock. “Plagg! Language!” 

Though shielding his sense of hearing, Adrien could still clearly make out the “F” word that came out of the grinning sharp-toothed mouth. That jerk was such a tease. 

Adrien really had no time to deal with him though. He quickly put on a change of clothes and made his way down to the kitchen. 

His father really was there at the table waiting for him. Adrien gulped, at a loss for what to say. He hasn’t sat at the same table as his father ever since...his mother died. A sour taste sat in his mouth as he steeled himself into the dining room. 

“Good morning, father.” Adrien stated, sitting down quietly. He refused to look his father in the eye, intensely staring at the minuscule plate of food in front of him. 

“Adrien.” His father acknowledged, looking up and setting his phone down. 

A long stretch of silence was roped between them. Adrien couldn’t bring himself to say anything first. He merely braced himself for further punishment. 

Gabriel Agreste cleared his throat, hesitant for what he was about to say. 

“I see that you are...truly unhappy with your education. However, I have every faith in Nathalie that she is providing perfectly rounded lessons for you.” 

Adrien grabbed his fork, a look of frustration crossed his face. “Father, it’s not that. I just… I don’t want to stay in the house. I can’t...make friends or speak to people.” 

Gabriel Agreste was someone who worshipped such isolation. The man hasn’t left his mansion ever since his wife disappeared, and even when his wife was around he preferred to stay inside as much as possible. If it weren’t for Adrien’s mother Emilie, people might have started suspecting Gabriel of being a vampire sooner or later. 

Adrien stabbed at a steamed carrot, unsure of how else to express himself. His father would never understand. 

“...Very well.” 

Adrien looked up in confused surprise. “I will...allow you to go to school. However, your bodyguard must remain with you at all break times throughout the day. You understand me?” 

Adrien’s jaw dropped along with his fork. He got up out of his seat, hands firm against the table. “Father- are...are you serious?!” 

Gabriel seemed surprised at his son’s outburst. He cleared his throat and nodded. 

The biggest smile stretched upon Adrien’s face, his heart pounding with excitement. He opened his arms wide and ran up to his father, embracing him in his chair. 

“Oh father! Thank you! Thank you so much!” 

Gabriel took a minute to recover from Adrien’s tackle, patting him on the back. “Yes, well, Nathalie suggested I should let you outside more often. You do need more social stimulation to be healthy in your teen years.” 

Adrien pulled back and looked over his shoulder to where Nathalie was standing. 

She regarded him with a smiling nod, her stiff stance unwavering. Adrien smiled with tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Nathalie.” 

Gabriel stood, adjusting his tie, watching as Adrien wiped his eyes. 

“Finish your breakfast quickly. Your bodyguard will drive you to school, and remember- you have fencing practice later this evening. Don’t be late.” 

Adrien nodded eagerly. “Yes, father.” 

~~~

“Wow, that was nice of him,” Plagg said. 

Plagg and Adrien were in the backseat of the car, being driven to school. 

Adrien nearly jumped out of his skin when he found Plagg waiting in the car for him. 

The black-haired boy gave a toothy smirk as he patted his hand down, gesturing for Adrien to take a seat next to him. 

Adrien wanted to yell at Plagg, but he remembered their conversation from earlier. 

_ “Only you can see me.”  _

Given the fact that his bodyguard gave no reaction, he could assume no one would hear Plagg either. The last thing he needed was for his father to think he was mentally insane for talking to a humanized cat-ghost of sorts. 

Adrien knew that even if he had asked Plagg to stay home, there was no doubt Plagg wouldn’t listen to his wishes and would have followed him to school anyway. 

Sighing, Adrien looked out the window as his new school approached. He found himself smiling again. If it weren’t for Plagg convincing him to escape, his father and Nathalie may have never considered this. 

Green feline eyes narrowed, watching Adrien silently. A blush spread over Plagg’s features. He closed his eyes and shook his head, looking out his window to change his thoughts. 

As the car pulled up, he and Adrien got out of the car and gazed up at the big school entrance. 

“Well, are you gonna stand there all day?” Plagg asked as he hopped over to Adrien’s side. 

Adrien scoffed at him and finally started to ascend the stairs. 

~~~

“Class, this is Adrien Agreste. He is a new student here. Please treat him well!” 

The whole class greeted him kindly. He waved to his old friend Chloe. She blew a kiss to him and winked. Adrien sighed at the gesture. Chloe always had a thing for him. They were childhood friends after all. But he just didn’t feel the same way about her. She never seemed to listen to him much, and she was always pulling some sort of lie. He just couldn’t stand that about her. 

“Why don’t you take the open seat next to Nino over there?” The teacher pointed to a boy wearing a red hat in the front row. Adrien nodded and set his bag to the side as he sat down. 

Nino nodded to him with a smile, and Adrien did the same. 

It was then Adrien felt a bead of sweat trickle down his cheek, watching nervously at a tail swishing over the teacher’s desk. 

Plagg had insisted on coming into class with him. He was now splayed out, his right hand supporting his head while his left hand rested on his hip. Why was he sitting in such a flirty pose on the TEACHER’S desk? Plagg wiggled his eyebrows at Adrien, his cat ears perking upward playfully. 

Adrien quickly grabbed his notebook and pencil as the teacher started talking in the background. He wrote something out and pointed it toward Plagg’s direction discreetly. 

Plagg narrowed his eyes as he tried to read the note a few feet away. 

**_“Don’t distract me.”_ **

Plagg rolled his eyes and got off the desk. He found a spot in the corner, transformed into a black cat to Adrien’s surprise, and laid down and stretched out. Was he seriously going to take a nap in the corner of the classroom? 

Adrien sighed, shaking his head. At least he should be less distracting that way. 

Shaking his head, the blonde found his resolve to reattach his attention back to the teacher. He needed to focus and get really good grades to make sure his father won’t change his mind about all this. There was no way he would lose this now that he has it. 

~~~

Tikki sat outside of Marinette’s classroom, occasionally peaking inside the small window to check on her. She was surprised to find the blonde boy came into class so late. She overheard him being a new student, and some of the class had whispered about his fame of being a fashion model. 

As Adrien had passed by her, she felt a strange presence. One that was very familiar. She spent the next hour dwelling on the strange feeling in her gut. Her eyes finally snapped open, recognizing the presence at last. Plagg. The new student was Plagg’s new soul-bonded. 

Tikki got up from her spot and peered inside the window suspiciously. She got a good look at the boy. He seemed unharmed. In fact, he seemed quite content. 

Her eyebrows scrunched in worry. She wondered just how much Plagg had left out of their “contract conversation”. She too felt guilty. She wasn’t being entirely honest with Marinette. But Marinette may not be suited for crime-fighting. She had plenty of Ladybugs turn their backs on her. So she had to be sure before she could spill everything. 

She wondered if Plagg had sensed her yet. Master Fu had placed a spell on all the Miraculous as a protective precaution. The two would not be able to see each other until their Miraculous Jewelry touch. Tikki almost felt worried that the next time she would see Plagg could possibly be when they’ve both been captured by Hawkmoth, finally being used for his ultimate wish. 

She shook her head, canceling her thought process. She shouldn’t think that way. She has to believe in Marinette and Adrien. For the sake of the universe, they must stand up and stop Hawkmoth. 

Tikki jumped in surprise as the lunch bell rang. She quickly shuffled to the side, watching as all the students rushed past her toward the quad. Marinette was still unpacking her bag, digging for her lunch box. Tikki smiled and took that opportunity to leave and wait for her elsewhere. 

~~~

Adrien stretched, getting up to leave. He was unfortunately snatched from behind by two arms. 

“Adri-kens~!” Chloe squealed, hugging him close. 

The blonde found himself frozen as he heard hissing from the corner of the room. 

Plagg was in a defensive stance as if he wanted nothing more than to pounce and rip the girl to shreds. 

The words:  **_“No lovers…”_ ** echoed in his head as he remembered one of Plagg’s “rules” for using his Miraculous. Adrien quickly broke free of Chloe’s grasp and pushed her away gently. 

“Ah, Hi Chloe.” 

Chloe paid the shove no heed. She put her hands on her hips and smiled fondly. “You have no idea how happy I am that you came to my school, Adrien. These commoners are so stingy and boring! It's a breath of fresh air to be graced with your presence here at last.” 

Adrien inwardly groaned at Chloe’s attitude. He hadn’t seen or talked to her in a while, so it’s a no brainer why she would be so clingy today. He was hoping her ego would be dimmed around all these people, but if anything it feels like it increased. His shoulders jittered when he felt two arms wrap around him again, but this time from behind. He side-eyed Plagg, who was now heavily glaring at Chloe from over Adrien’s shoulder. 

“Adrikins?” Chloe asked, worried by his change of expression. 

“Sorry, Chloe, I just get really spooked when you hug me suddenly. Could I ask you to not do that from now on?” Adrien asked, hoping she would oblige somewhat. 

Chloe pouted. “Not sure if I can promise that, but if it makes you uncomfortable, I guess I’ll consider it.” 

Adrien sighed. He really  _ really _ hoped he wouldn’t find Chloe’s dead body on his doorstep tomorrow. Chloe was not the most...morally righteous person in the world, but she didn’t deserve to get maimed at such a young age. He would need to warn Plagg not to bring him any “gifts” like other cats seem to do for their owners.

Adrien suddenly felt someone bump into his side. Being held by Plagg prevented him from falling over, but that was certainly not a pleasant sensation. Plagg seemed pretty annoyed by it too. 

“Oof, I’m so sorry, are you okay?” 

Adrien looked behind him only to find a blue-eyed girl with pigtails standing beside him. She had a lunchbox in her hands, the contents of it now jumbled from the impact. She was cute. 

“Yeah I’m fine. Are you okay?” Adrien asked back. Plagg’s grip around his shoulders seemed to stiffen, but he wasn’t hissing or growling interestingly enough… 

Before the girl could reply, Chloe butt in. “Ugh, Dupain-cheng. Watch where you’re going, loser!” 

Marinette glared at the blonde. 

Adrien turned to Chloe in shock. “Chloe!” 

“Hmph! Adrien, don’t associate yourself with her, don’t even bother speaking to her.” Chloe grabbed hold of Adrien’s arm and tried to pull him away. This time, Plagg did hiss and slammed his palm into Chloe’s shoulder hard, knocking her into a desk. 

“Chloe!” 

Chloe screeched as she swayed, trying to steady herself from her fall. 

She seethed, turning toward Marinette. “You!” 

Marinette gripped her lunch box and hid behind Adrien. 

“Chloe, she- she didn’t push you, please-” 

“Move aside, Adrien! This bitch needs to be taught a lesson-” 

Tikki suddenly ran into the classroom and grabbed Marinette, shielding her from behind Adrien. 

_ “Tikki-!?” _ Marinette whispered in shock. 

“Okay! Break it up!” Announced their teacher, who came back to the classroom to grab some documents. “No fighting in the classroom or I may be forced to send all three of you to the principal’s office, do you understand?” 

Adrien looked at Chloe pleadingly. If he was sent to the Principal’s office on the first day, his father would never let him come back here. 

Chloe noticed the look in Adrien’s eye and quickly left the room, her anger never leaving her face. 

Marinette’s shoulders slumped, relieved. Tikki leaned in, her forehead clunking lightly with Marinette’s. _ “I’ll wait outside,” _ she whispered. 

With that, Tikki left the room. 

Adrien turned to Marinette, worried and embarrassed. “I’m sorry about that, are you okay?” 

The blue-eyed girl nodded. “Yeah. My name is Marinette, thanks for standing up for me.” 

“I’m Adrien. Why is Chloe so nasty to you?” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “She’s always hated me. I think it’s because I’m the only one who doesn’t put up with her attitude in this class.” 

Adrien laughed. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t let her get away with that! She’s been like that ever since we were young. She doesn’t have very good role models.” 

Marinette laughed nervously. Well, I’m-- I’m gonna go hang out with my friends. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like. We’ll be in the quad by the corner benches.” 

Adrien smiled. “Sure, I’ll be down in a minute. Thanks, Marinette.” 

The girl smiled and quickly dashed out the door. 

Adrien sighed heavily as Plagg finally released his terrifying grip. “Plagg, we’re gonna have a long talk later.” 

Plagg scoffed. “Oh great. Lectures. After all the lectures I’m sitting in on today, can’t we save it for tomorrow?” 

“School is tomorrow too. There’s going to be lectures all week Plagg.” 

Plagg groaned as he slumped down in Adrien’s seat, clearly aggravated with that new information. 

Plagg closed his eyes, sighing. After a pause, he poked one eye open to gaze at Adrien. 

“That girl, Marinette…” 

Adrien stopped, not daring to answer. What was Plagg going to say about her?

“She…is very interesting.” 

“Interesting?” 

“There’s something off about her, let’s just say that.” 

Adrien was getting annoyed. Can Plagg just let him meet people and make friends? He seriously needs to lay off. 

“What, are you gonna tell me to stay away from her, now?” 

“Actually, that’s not possible.” 

“...Huh?” 

Plagg was looking at Adrien with both eyes open now. 

“I think you’ll be seeing her around quite a lot more in your future.” 

Before Adrien could ask what he meant by that, the school alarm went off. 

“ATTENTION STUDENTS, TAKE COVER. A SUSPICIOUS PERSON HAS JUST BEEN SIGHTED IN SCHOOL. USE EXTREME CAUTION, WE ARE UNDER LOCKDOWN.” 

Adrien heard shuffling and shouts outside. What was going on?! 

Plagg jumped up on the desk. “I think now would be the time to see what Chat Noir can really do.” 

~~~

  
  


“Tikki?!” Marinette shouted as a head of red appeared suddenly before her in the crowd. 

“Marinette, it's a victim of Hawkmoth. One of the students at this school got akumatized. You need to transform and stop them!” 

Marinette was scared, but she knew she was the only one who could protect everyone. 

Marinette and Tikki got down on their knees, hidden from within the panicked crowd of students and faculty. Marinette looked to Tikki. “Tikki, spots on.” 

Tikki leaned in and sealed her lips over Marinette’s. 

With that, a vibrant red covered Marinette’s body as she transformed into Ladybug. 

**_(“The akuma should be near the entrance of the school, Marinette. I believe they’re a student like you.”)_ **

“Gotcha. We better make haste!” 

~~~

**Author's Note:**

> Omygossssssshhhhh this fanfic has been in the works for 2 whole years. I've finally finished it, and can start rolling out chapters! 
> 
> My lovely Beta Reader Alchemeister is looking through this beloved fic, and I couldn't be more grateful! Check her out if you've got some time! 
> 
> A weird premise, right? I for one found it exciting to write. I hope you all enjoy the chapters to come!


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